From the threads that bind family stories to the lines that link past to present, the 2026 History Festival explores connection in all its forms. This year, the History Festival is shining a light on South Australians who live these connections every day.

Meet Sobia and Irfan, who have spent two decades building community through healthcare and cultural celebration; Esther and Matt Johnson, life and business partners preserving the 150-year legacy of Ditters Nuts; Hon. Ian Hunter MLC, who rebuilt connection after it was broken, creating a chosen family and championing LGBTQIA+ rights; and the Hugh Hamilton wine family, three generations with deep roots connected to South Australia.

The Hamiltons

The Hamilton story spans over 185 years — from smuggling Bordeaux across the English Channel to pioneering grape cultivation in Australia since 1837. Hugh Hamilton, the Black Sheep of the fifth generation, always marched to his own drum. “Although it may not be the most financially rewarding game, it is rewarding in another sense in the way you live your life. Winemaking has given me so much pleasure,” he says.

For Hugh, what matters most is simple:

Integrity — looking after other people. If you've helped someone else along the way, doing right by people.

Now, sixth generation Hamilton, Mary, has taken creative control, shaking things up while honouring the thread woven by generations past. “I think we are really lucky that we have this long legacy. We know a little bit about our forebears and our stories and have an appreciation for what it took for them to come to South Australia,” she reflects. “I have a great appreciation for their journey out here.”

What connects them to South Australia? “You know it first by the light. Then the gum trees. The dry air. The way the seasons insist on themselves. Our first vines went into this ground in 1837. They held. We stayed.”

With her children Stella and Will beside them, four generations stand together on the same land their ancestors worked nearly two centuries ago. How do they stay connected to what matters most? “By paying attention. By returning to the vineyard. By staying.”

Maria & Tom Frossinakis and Marguerite Coad

Their connection to place was cemented through the kindness of neighbours. “When we first moved to Birdwood, I was sick in hospital and I had two tea towels hanging on the clothes line. All of our neighbours came out of nowhere asking if I was ok… it is nice to know you have neighbours that are so thoughtful,” remarks Maria.

The connections within school between staff, students and families. The beauty of a small country town school is the invaluable relationships built amongst our little community where so many people step up to help each other.

That spirit of community is what drew Marguerite Coad to coordinate Birdwood Farm Day, an annual event part of South Australia’s History Festival that brings the town together. “I love that it brings our whole school community together to provide people far and wide with the opportunity to experience country living,” she says. “It is an event that our school is so incredibly proud of and we enjoy collaborating with local business as well as businesses in the wider community. It is always lovely to see so many people and families making wonderful memories that are often talked about years later.”

Growing up in the small country town of Jamestown before moving to the suburbs during primary school, Marguerite experienced different worlds. But it wasn’t until she moved to Birdwood twelve years ago that she truly came to appreciate country living. “Having lived in Birdwood for the last 12 years, I have really grown to appreciate country living and how lucky we are to have so many beautiful places in South Australia.”

When asked what connection she’s most grateful for, her answer reflects the heart of small-town life: “The connections within our school between staff, students and families. The beauty of a small country town school is the invaluable relationships built amongst our little community where so many people step up to help each other.”

Sobia & Irfan Hashmi

When Sobia Hashmi and her husband Irfan think about what connects them to South Australia, their answer is immediate: community. Over the past 20 years, this remarkable couple has transformed healthcare access across remote and rural South Australia, establishing six pharmacies in areas where none previously existed — places where people once had to travel hours for basic medications and care.

But opening pharmacies was only the beginning. Understanding that truly serving a community means speaking its language, Sobia and Irfan have built a team that collectively speaks 21 languages, ensuring that some of the state’s most vulnerable populations receive culturally sensitive healthcare close to home. Their commitment extends beyond their own practices too — they have mentored countless overseas pharmacists, coordinated multilingual education programs and have run free weekly webinars that have helped 4,000 pharmacists pass their exams in the last year alone, bringing vital healthcare workers into regional Australia.

Beyond the pharmacy, Irfan’s Australian Pavilion Cricket Museum tells another story of connection — one where sport becomes a bridge between cultures. As pharmacists and cricket enthusiasts, the couple believes that sports are “more than just games; they are an integral part of our culture, history, and identity.” The museum celebrates how cricket and soccer have woven themselves into South Australia’s multicultural tapestry, preserving the legacy of these beloved sports while fostering deeper understanding across communities.

Together, Sobia and Irfan embody what it means to build connections from the ground up — one prescription, one conversation, one shared story at a time. Their work reminds us that connection is not just about being present; it is about showing up in ways that truly matter.

Hon. Ian Hunter MLC

“Connection for me is difficult, because I ran away from home when I was nine… those stages of my life are disconnected, and I have had to build a life again after those breaks. So it is tough. But as I got older and could choose who I had around me, then it became a lot easier.”

Hon. Ian Hunter MLC, South Australia’s first openly gay Member of Parliament, reflects on what connection means to him — and how we create family when the threads are broken. His story reminds us that connection is not always inherited; sometimes it is something we build ourselves, with the people we choose.

Raphael Thomas

Raphael Thomas, a Luritja Wambaya man, knows the weight and gift of connection across generations. His grandfather, Harold Thomas, was one of the first Aboriginal students to graduate from Art School in Adelaide — and went on to create one of Australia’s most powerful symbols: the Aboriginal flag.

“My grandad was the first Indigenous person to graduate from South Australian Art School. The opportunities that were afforded to him compared to me and compared to my little brother are substantially different.”

That difference speaks to both progress and possibility. Where Harold Thomas broke barriers in a time of limited opportunity, Raphael and his generation stand on the foundation his grandfather and others built. Yet Raphael does not take that lightly. He understands that his own journey is part of a continuing story — one that connects past struggles to present opportunities and future dreams.

“I hope I can inspire a lot of young Indigenous boys and girls to follow whatever dreams they have in whatever career they like,” he says. “The opportunities afforded to us now are amazing and we need to take them.”

Esther & Matt Johnson

For Esther and Matt, owners of Ditters Nuts, connection is not an abstract concept — it’s woven into every part of their lives. Twenty-five years of marriage, seven years as business partners, and a lifetime spent in South Australia have taught them that the most meaningful connections are always about people.

One was born here, the other migrated from Kuala Lumpur in the 1980s. Together, they have experienced South Australia as both hometown and new home — a place where every major life milestone has unfolded.

In 2018, with backgrounds in economics, marketing, advertising and design, they took on an unexpected role: custodians of Ditters, Adelaide’s — and Australia’s — oldest nut retailer. What began as curiosity about a fading local icon became a mission to revive a business that had been part of South Australian life for generations.

“Every day, we hear customers share their memories of visiting Ditters with their parents and grandparents. We are fascinated by how these heartwarming memories intertwine with the unique experience of growing up in South Australia, and we love discovering these new connections to South Australia every day while we work.”

When asked what connection they are most grateful for, their answer is simple: each other. “As life partners and, for the last 7 years, business partners, we are truly grateful for one another,” they reflect. “Our combined personalities, skills, and experiences make it possible for us to run Ditters together. We would be at a loss without each other in both life and work.”

For Esther and Matt, staying connected to what matters most means prioritising people above all else. “In our experience, the things in life that matter most to us are never about money or material things; they are almost always about people. So, we try to put people first.”

In reviving Ditters, they have become more than business owners — they are keepers of memory, connection, and South Australian heritage.

More information from the 2026 History Festival edition of WeekendPlus: